


Finding Your Fingerprints

by amberlo133



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 05:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5954722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amberlo133/pseuds/amberlo133
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a slow journey from machine back to man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Your Fingerprints

Darcy walked out of the elevator and was stopped dead in her tracks. Steve was shouting. That alone was enough to short-circuit her brain. She hovered on the edge of the sitting room and clutched her papers to her chest. How was it she always managed to walk in on these things? Jane had sent her upstairs for signatures and now she was in the middle of a super-spat. And was that the Winter Soldier? Yup, she'd recognise that murderous hobo look anywhere. Fuck her life, this was going to take forever. 

She threw herself onto the sofa and cringed, listening to Steve like this would make a rock uncomfortable. Natasha had stepped in and seemed to be having some luck calming him down. It lasted a whole two minutes before a combination of Tony and some senior agents, managed to rile him up once again. Natasha backed off seemingly exasperated and stood to one side, with the newly returned Clint. Noticing Darcy's eyes on her she nodded politely. 

They seemed to be arguing over the Winter Soldier, who had turned up in Steve's old apartment, oblivious of just how many people were looking everywhere for him. The suits wanted him in a containment facility, where they could try and ascertain how much damage his mind had taken. It wasn't going over too well. Tony was siding with Steve but expressing some reservations about keeping a volatile assassin in the Tower before they had any idea, about, well anything really. Steve once again insisted that Bucky had saved his life, that they had to help him, not return him to another lab. Suit B then listed the probable conditioning that the Winter Soldier had been subject to and how volatile he was likely to be.

Darcy listened intently, there had been a crazy amount of gossip in SHIELD affiliated circles about the Winter Soldier. It was a little disappointing to finally see him in person. Although after the Youtube footage from the bridge fight, it was clear the reputation was well deserved. His eyes were dead, seeming not to hear any of the conversation on the other side of the lounge. It looked like he had simply switched off, more filthy and exhausted than anything else. 

Darcy tuned back into the argument and rolled her eyes, it was becoming entirely circular. For that matter they could have been doing this for hours before she came in. This was ridiculous, she pulled out her phone and found Natasha's number.

_If I try and take him for a shower, will he kill me?_

_Probably not?_

She sat up and caught Natasha's eye before saluting and beginning to rise. The other woman stopped her with a subtle motion indicating her phone, a moment later a second text came through. 

_Try simple commands, keep you distance and look as unthreatening as possible_

Apparently she had semi approval. Taking a breath she levered herself off the Thor sized couch. She walked slowly and approached the filthy man before her. As she had expected the argument continued uninterrupted. He looked up at her as she came to a halt, his gaze was uncurious, simply keeping watch on her movements. Her heart hammered in her chest but she kept her voice level and calm.

"You need a shower, follow me." She took a moment waiting for the words to settle in and then turned on her heel, walking slowly toward the guest rooms. Behind her she her the soft sound of him rising. Well hell, she hadn't really expected that to work. Her phone beeped again.

_Any change in behaviour, get to a safe distance_

Thank god for Natasha, she was the only Avenger that never expected Darcy to duck and cover at the very first sign of trouble. She turned left at the end of the hall into a room that had occasionally been used by Thor before he and Jane had found a room that suited them both. She headed into the massive ensuite and turned. Her breath hitched in her throat as she found the Soldier looking down at her. For someone who could take on a couple of Avengers he certainly moved quietly. She swallowed to impulse to snark at him, her normal coping methods probably wouldn't go down well here.

"Stay here, I will find clothes for you." Once again she took a moment to let it sink in. He seemed dazed, like someone sleep deprived or on heavy painkillers. Well either way that was above he pay grade, if she could get him clean she'd count it a win. Slowly she started to move past him and almost had a heart attack when his arm shot out to block her way. She stopped, took a slow breath caught his eye: "lower your arm." He hesitated and then did so, letting her slip out of the room. She crossed to the dresser and braced her arms letting herself freak out for a moment. She wondered if this was what Natasha had meant and whether so should extricate herself. Then she heard the clear sound of the a toilet seat being flipped up and rolled her eyes. How many brothers and boyfriends had she had that conversation with? We shut the door when we take a leak, she thought sarcastically. 

Her sense of intimidation faded and she rummaged through the drawers pulling out sweat pants and a t-shirt. Hearing the toilet flush she made her way back into the bathroom. He stood with his back to her facing the mirror over the sink. Slowly she watched him lift a hand to touch his face, the blank expression crumpled and for a second he looked anguished. He wrenched himself away and his fists clenched.

"Ready to get clean?" Her voice was slightly kinder than before, this didn't look like just a perfect soldier any more. He whirled to face her dropping slightly as if to go into a defensive crouch. Breathing heavily he held her gaze for several long seconds before he straightened awkwardly. 

"Yes." His voice grated as if from long disuse. Well she hadn't expected that, when she had seen him in the lounge, talking seemed like the last thing he would be doing. From the slight surprise and discomfort on his face he agreed, best not to push it then.

"Good. Get undressed." She moved to the shower and turned it on hot. She heard the sound of a zip behind her and belatedly realised what she had just said. Anyone else would have waited for her to leave but then maybe brainwashing removed nudity hangups. She heard the sound of clothing hitting the floor and was stuck between thinking she should act normal and feeling like she would somehow be taking advantage. 

"Wait." She turned to find him topless with one hand on his belt. Thanking whatever god was listening that she hadn't waited longer she kept her gaze fixed on his face and indicated the bottles in the shower. 

"Wash up and come out when you're finished." He gave a jerky nod and went back to the button on his pants. Darcy darted out of the bathroom as fast as possible only to hear an incoming Captain America.

"Bucky! Bucky?" She went to the door of the guest room and caught his attention.

"Hey, Steve."

"Darcy. What were you thinking? Nat said you," he trailed off looking at her like a lost and slightly offended puppy.

"Ran off with your assassin? Yeah, he's in the shower." That didn't seem to help much, he was still looking at her like she was carzy. "Well you guys were working out all the serious stuff and he was just really dirty." 

"But," he trails off looking almost as exhausted as the Soldier.

"It's no big deal, I'm just," she stops, "not threatening? Natasha said just give him simple orders and it would probably be okay." Steve frowns.

"She shouldn't have done that, however unthreatening you are he's still dangerous."

"I get that Cap, I really do. But now he can be dangerous and clean?" She stumbles over the last few words, its not that she doesn't know that he could kill her. But so could Bruce, or one of Jane's projects. She lives in a building full of very dangerous not particularly stable people and science experiments. Sometimes even both at the same time. So they'd gone and added to the roster, it was going to happen eventually. "Could be worse, could be Loki." Steve just looks totally unamused.

Thankfully, she is saved from being chewed out by a national icon as the noise of the shower abruptly shuts off. Steve starts towards the bathroom and she has to dart and stop him with a gentle hand on his arm. "Maybe don't go surprising him when he's naked? Seems like you might be a bit of a loaded sight for him right now."

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks, Darcy." He deflates in a way that is utterly heart breaking.

"Hey, it'll be ok. He's here isn't he?" He gives her a sad smile and heads for the door.

"Steve?" He turns. "If you get them out of the kitchen, maybe I could try and feed him. You know what they say about stray cats."

He nods resolutely and leaves.

She watches him go and her heart goes out to him. Turning she sees the door to the bathroom suddenly fill up with damp soldier. She smiles at him and a tiny frown breaks out on his face, as if he really isn't sure what to do with her. Whatever, that's pretty much everyone's reaction. His wet hair is soaking into his henley and she knows exactly how unpleasant that's going to feel in about ten minutes time. Time to push the boundaries just a little. 

"Go back into the bathroom, your hair is wet." He stares at her for a second before doing as asked. Confined space with volatile assassin, bring it on. She heads in after him and grabs a towel from the rack, telegraphing her intentions when he looks at her warily. She steps behind him carefully.

"Tip your head back." He goes still and she remembers just how uncomfortably vulnerable she feels at the hairdressers. "Okay, don't. Just put your hair where I can reach it." This time he complies, crouching in front of her in a way that makes her think about just how easily he could take out her legs. Sighing she reaches down to collect his shaggy hair in the towel. Academically, she knows that Clint and particularly Natasha, even Coulson, see weapons all around them but its still a little horrifying to see someone worry that she will strangle them with a towel. He's not that much taller than her, or rather he is but not to the degree of Thor and Steve. She's gentle with the towel and less enthusiastic than she would be on her own hair. Still it only takes a few moments before its as dry as its going to get and she's collected a good chunk in her hand. 

"I'm going to tie this back." His head jerks forward slightly and she takes that for assent, pulling a band off her own wrist and twisting it around.

"Voila." She walks around him, almost tripping on his discarded clothes. He still looks lost and a little murderous but it doesn't have quite the same effect with his hair pulled back in oversized clothes. 

"Is there anything here you want to keep?" She gestures at the clothes and he just stares at her blankly. "I'm taking that as a no. Okay, are you hungry?" There is no more reaction than there was before, she thinks maybe whatever slightly lucid period he had been having has come to an end and changes tactics.

"Tell me the last time you ate." There is a long pause but he finally grinds out an answer. 

"Yesterday." 

Well there's something else she can fix. 


End file.
